I
recently led a delegation, including Assembly Member Tony Arbour and
Val Weedon of the UK Noise Association, to Putney Bridge and Turnham
Green tube stations to assess the scale of the problem of nuisance
noise from public address systems. This was in connection with my
appointment as rapporteur for the Assembly’s Environment Committee to
carry out a full investigation into nuisance noise at selected tube
stations.

For
some considerable time my mailbag, and those of my colleagues, had been
making it clear that excessively loud and unnecessary PA announcements
at tube stations across London was making life a misery for many local
residents and tube users. The UK Noise Association in a recent study
found that noise levels on a Piccadilly Line train can typically reach
nearly 100 decibels, which is “louder than a jet landing at Heathrow”. It
has been acknowledged that levels of stress and heart disease can be
adversely affected by excessive noise and so it was evident to me that
this was an issue which needed addressing for a significant number of
Londoners. Following concerted pressure from me, Transport for London
had recognised that there was a problem – but recognition alone was not
enough. They needed to do more to ensure that the problems of noisy
announcements at stations across London were resolved – and at the
earliest opportunity. This formal investigation is helping me to take
the matter forward.

Following
my visits to Putney Bridge and Turnham Green, I met senior managers
from TfL last week to demand urgent action. As a result of this
meeting they are now taking the issue seriously. They have pledged to
be more responsive to residents’ complaints, and are introducing a
staff training manual on PA systems and pilot schemes to test sound
barriers. It is essential, of course, that we ensure they follow this
up with some real changes, and put an end to this misery once and for
all. My full report is due to be published in February.